Thanksgiving
by William 'Thundergod' Nichols
Summary: What is Tenchi really thankful for?


"Tenchi Muyo!" and all characters herein are the property of Pioneer and AIC, save those created by the author. This is a fanfic, is not for profit, and does not express the views of Pioneer or AIC.  
  
Thanksgiving  
  
Dedication: to all of those serving across the world and at home to protect our freedoms: thank you.  
  
  
  
The autumn wind swirled through the trees surrounding the Masaki Shrine. The yellows, browns, and reds looked like an artists palette. A swatch of color here, a dab there and a splash on top of that. Everyone loves the fall on earth, even Tenchi, although the falling leaves do make for more work around the shrine. The air is crisp and the sky clear. This was a perfect day to be alive. Even Ryo-Ohki was having fun playing in the freshly raked piles of leaves. Soon the savory smell of sweet potatoes wafted across the shrine.  
  
Returned to this dimension from his daydream Tenchi looked across the shrine to the small fire Sasami was tending. All around her was Ayeka, Washu, and Mihoshi.  
  
'Strange,' he thought, 'Ryoko never misses Sasami's sweet potatoes. Oh well.' He smiled at his collected family and hurried with his chores. By the time he was finished Sasami was pulling the first potatoes from the embers.  
  
"Just in time Tenchi!" she said enthusiastically, offering him one of the yams.  
  
"Thank you, Sasami," he said taking a tentative bite being careful not to burn his mouth. "Where's Ryoko?"  
  
"I saw he by the lake earlier," answered Washu between mouthfuls.  
  
"Why bother," mumbled Ayeka.  
  
"Just wondering," replied Tenchi. They sat on the shrine steps eating together, sharing small talk and listening to Ayeka's plans for the future. Tenchi just hung his head and sighed.  
  
"I need to go to town," said Sasami as she finished her potato.  
  
"What ever for?" asked Ayeka.  
  
"I need to shop for Thanksgiving tomorrow."  
  
"What's that?" asked Mihoshi. Ayeka and Washu seemed to be equally confused.  
  
"I heard about it on TV the other day so I asked Tenchi about it," she explained. "He showed me in his world history book. Its American."  
  
"When the first settlers came to America," continued Tenchi between bites, "they endured a harsh winter. But by the next year with help from the Native Americans they had enough to survive the winter. In celebration they fixed a large feast to give thanks." Everyone was nodding their heads except for Mihoshi, who looked as confused as ever.  
  
"Later on during that country's civil war the President made it a national holiday."  
  
"So why are we celebrating it?" asked Ayeka. "If it's an American holiday why celebrate it in Okayama?"  
  
"It's the meaning of thanksgiving that's important!" said Sasami. "We're all thankful for being here, and we love each other, so that's enough reason for me!"  
  
"I agree," said Tenchi. "It's the spirit that counts, so we're going to have thanksgiving dinner tomorrow."  
  
"It sounds wonderful!" chimed in Mihoshi, thinking with her stomach. "I can't wait. I'll give you a ride into town Sasami," she offered.  
  
"Okay Mihoshi."  
  
"Are you really thankful for us being here, Lord Tenchi?" said Ayeka as Sasami and Mihoshi walked down the steps.  
  
"Yes I am," replied Tenchi. "I'm thankful for all of you being here."  
  
"Well I'd be thankful if Ryoko would pull her weight around here," snipped Ayeka, never missing a chance to get a jab in on her archrival.  
  
"Don't talk like that," scolded Tenchi. "You know I don't like it." He hated it when the girls talked badly about the other. He wanted tomorrow to a special day. "Promise me Ayeka," he began sternly, "you won't cause a fuss tomorrow."  
  
"I'll try," she pouted. "But that demon usually starts it."  
  
"Ayeka."  
  
"I promise Lord Tenchi. Lord Tenchi, where are you going?" she asked as he walked down the steps.  
  
"I'm going to find Ryoko and make her promise as well."  
  
"You'd almost think that he cared about her," she quipped, thinking Tenchi was out of earshot.  
  
"I do," he replied flatly.  
  
"Open mouth, insert foot," chuckled Washu. "Come on princess, let's head back to the house before you dig a hole you can't crawl out of."  
  
  
  
Tenchi found the cyan trussed space pirate out by the lake, right where Washu said she would be. She was just lying on the boardwalk dangling a foot into the water. Ryu-Oh's tree was providing just enough shade from the afternoon sun to make it exceptionally pleasant. Tenchi found himself watching her, trying his best not to disturb her. He admired her pleasant shape, and how peaceful she appeared to be for a change. A peaceful moment with Ryoko was worth its weight in gold. That and Ayeka was not around either.  
  
'Yes I'm thankful,' he thought. 'If only I could say it.' As he rocked back against an old oak tree a twig snapped beneath his foot. He gulped as it shattered the quiet of the afternoon. Immediately Ryoko shot up into a fighting stance, sword formed.  
  
"Who's there!" she demanded, looking all around her. When she saw Tenchi standing across the bank she dissipated her sword and floated back down.  
  
"Don't startle me like that," she said shaking her head.  
  
"I'm sorry," he apologized walking over to her. "I was just watching you." Tenchi's trademark blush spread across his face as his compliment garnered a smile from Ryoko.  
  
"I just still feel uneasy at times," she said hugging herself. "I was just trying to relax a bit."  
  
"That's fine," he began taking a seat next to her. "You're safe here. Kagato's dead and you've been forgiven of the things he made you do."  
  
"I know," sighed Ryoko. "But after being forced to be cruel for so long, well I guess certain nightmares are hard to shake."  
  
"I can understand," confided Tenchi. He picked a pebble up and skipped it across the lake. "After my mother died I couldn't sleep for a long while."  
  
"But you had nothing to do with that," said Ryoko.  
  
"I know that now, but then I didn't. To my mind it was my fault." A light breeze had picked up and it only increased Tenchi's shiver. "For the longest I blamed myself."  
  
"And your saying I blame myself for things I had no control over," chimed Ryoko.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"So how did you get over that?"  
  
"As I grew older I came to understand that I had nothing to do with her death, and that I should be thankful for what time I got to spend with her."  
  
"But what can I be thankful for?" asked Ryoko nearly in tears. "I was taken as a child, my mother imprisoned, and I was forced to do unspeakable acts."  
  
"You can be thankful for me," said Tenchi, looking into her golden eyes.  
  
"But you love Ayeka," she said sadly.  
  
"I never said that." Instantly her demeanor changed. What was angst and self-hatred now became hope.  
  
"Are you saying what I think you are?"  
  
"I might be. Just promise one thing."  
  
"Anything," replied Ryoko with a sultry look in her eyes.  
  
"Don't cause a fuss at dinner tomorrow." Ryoko nearly fell over. Her 'I love you' did not come. "Please Ryoko."  
  
"Alright Tenchi. But just for you. What's so special about dinner tomorrow anyway?"  
  
"Sasami and I decided to celebrate Thanksgiving, so I would like you and Ayeka to get along."  
  
"You're asking for the world," she said rolling her eyes towards the back of her head.  
  
"I knew I could count on you," said Tenchi with a smile. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Ryoko blushed redder than he did and just looked at him in shock. "I'll see you later!" with that Tenchi got up and headed towards the house.  
  
For the longest Ryoko just sat there with a dumb look on her face. Then it finally dawned on her.  
  
"He kissed me! Alright!" she yelled pumping her fist. As quickly as she did she slapped a hand over her mouth.  
  
"Better not let Ayeka hear that," she whispered. "Maybe he does love me." After a moment of starstruck daydreaming she decided to go back to the house.  
  
"Maybe he does."  
  
  
  
That night everyone planned what he or she would do for dinner the next day. After a little research on Washu's part it was decide to go with a traditional American dinner with a few Japanese modifications. Everyone took responsibility for preparing a dish and Ayeka promised to make a traditional Juraian festival desert. With the plans laid out everyone went off to bed.  
  
Tenchi was having a difficult time getting to sleep. He kept thinking back to what he had said to Ryoko out by the lake earlier in the day. It had been nearly fifteen years since his mother passed away, and at times the pain seemed as fresh as the day she died. He knew that she loved him, and that his father had gone out of his way to provide the best for him. But all in all he needed to be someone tonight. And he knew just who that would be.  
  
He quietly slid his door open and scanned the rafters for a certain space pirate. Her pillow was there, but there was no sign of Ryoko.  
  
"Where can she be," he whispered. He slid his door shut and walked out to his balcony. He looked up to the roof and saw what looked like a foot dangling over the edge.  
  
"Bingo."  
  
Quietly he climbed up the bamboo ladder and peeked over the edge. Twice now he had a quite moment with Ryoko. To boot both of them were in the same day. This time she noticed him with out going on the defensive and motioned for him to come sit next to her.  
  
"Someone couldn't sleep either," she assumed out loud.  
  
"Yeah, I was just thinking tonight."  
  
"What about?"  
  
"A little of this, a little of that," he replied placing an arm around her. "I just need to be with an understanding soul tonight." Ryoko blushed at Tenchi's act of affection. Getting a hug out of him usually took an act of parliament and an order from the emperor-the one in Tokyo and Jurai! Tenchi returned Ryoko's blush and smile. He did enjoy being in her company. He just wished that Ayeka could see in her what he did. Then maybe she would be a little kinder.  
  
'Over the past two years I've come to know you better Ryoko,' he thought. 'So why is it so hard for me to share my feelings for you? Why can't I just say what I feel? What am I afraid of? Damn it Masaki.'  
  
Ryoko's soft voice returned him from his self-contemplation. "What's the matter Tenchi?" The concern in her voice was genuine. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah I guess Ryoko," he began shaking his head. "I just don't know anymore," he sighed. "I want to say some thing but I just can't find the courage to do it." Ryoko shifted around to look him in the eyes. The white glow of the half moon cast a silver light on his dark hair. Tenchi had noticed the similar affect on Ryoko's powder blue hair, each spike looked more defined than ever. A sparkle flashed across her golden eyes, reflecting his and her feelings. Tenchi lost himself in her deep amber orbs. A falling star streaked across the sky further complimenting the moment.  
  
"What are you trying to say Tenchi?" Ryoko felt like her stomach was turning cartwheels. Ever since she had assimilated with Zero, she had become more in touch with her emotions. Washu had split her memory subroutines when Kagato imprisoned them in the event that Ryoko could be freed. Now she had her full memories and range of emotions. At times she loved them, especially when she could garner a compliment from Tenchi. At others she hated them. This was one of the other times.  
  
A moment of silence passed as Tenchi fumbled for the right words. 'I can't be that hard,' he thought. His hands were shaking and he was beginning to sweat, even though the night air was rather crisp. Finally he gathered his courage and swallowed hard.  
  
"I want to say that I care for you deeply," he began. Ryoko's feelings crashed. Once again what she had been hoping for did not come.  
  
"But you love Ayeka," she interjected.  
  
"I did not say that!" exclaimed Tenchi.  
  
"Then what are you saying?" Tears were welling in Ryoko's eyes. Tenchi decided that if he did not say it now he might loose his chance forever. He opened his mouth but no words came out. To Ryoko that was confirmation of her worse fears.  
  
"You're horrible Tenchi Masaki," she cried beginning to float away. Tenchi shot forward and grabbed her hand. Instantly he pulled her back down to the roof. He decided to do what he could not say. Tenchi placed a hand behind her neck and leaned closer. Tears of joy replaced those of sorrow streaking Ryoko's face as their lips met. A moment passed before they pulled apart.  
  
"That's what I was trying to say," he said softly wiping the tears from her face. "I wanted to tell you along time ago but I just never could find the words. I'm sorry for the heartbreak all those times I pushed you away. I just couldn't figure out my own feelings."  
  
"So what changed your mind," she asked softly, holding him closer than ever before.  
  
"I just realized what I was truly thankful for. Now lets go in. You can take my bed and I'll sleep on the futon."  
  
"Can't we sleep together? I promise that I want do anything too naughty," she cooed at him.  
  
"Alright."  
  
They shared a bed that night in peaceful sleep. For the first time in ages both Tenchi and Ryoko felt at peace with the world. The next morning Tenchi woke up early to get his shrine chores finished early. As he headed out of his room he walked over and gave the sleeping Ryoko a light kiss.  
  
"So peaceful," he mused closing the door behind him. He had a lot to do before dinner that day.  
  
  
  
That evening the table was set and everyone gathered around. A feast fit for an emperor had been laid out and everybody was impressed.  
  
"Oh wow!" squeaked Mihoshi, her eyes bigger than saucers. "It all looks so good!"  
  
"We'd better hurry," chuckled Ryoko, "before Mihoshi eats it all!" After a round of laughter Ayeka called for a toast.  
  
"To Lord Tenchi, Katsuhito, and father Nobeyugi for opening their home to us all. Their hospitality has been tremendous. On behalf of the royal family of Jurai, Thank you." Tenchi blushed as ever one applauded. As the applause died down Ryoko stood and raised her glass.  
  
"I want to thank all of you as well-even you princess." Ayeka smirked at the half compliment garnering a fanged grin in return from Ryoko. "For the longest I never had a family. Kagato imprisoned mom and stole me when I was just a child. You can never know how grateful I am to have a chance to have a family, and the love that comes with it. Thank you." Even Ayeka was touched by Ryoko's toast. Washu gave her a hug and promised Ryoko that she would never let any harm befall her or her new family again. She shot a glance across to Tenchi who smiled back at her. There was something else she was thankful for but now wasn't the time to say it.  
  
Finally Tenchi stood up and looked around the table. Here was the group of people he cared about more than anything. His Grandfather and Father. Princess' Ayeka and Sasami. Mihoshi, and Washu. And Ryoko, the woman he had come to love. The only thing missing was his mother, but he knew that she was watching him and smiling.  
  
"Each and every one of you are precious to me," he began. "Ever since you came to our door my life has been different, and I am glad. I love each and every one of you, and I would do anything for you. This house was missing something for the longest and since you came it has been complete. For that I thank you."  
  
"Lady Ayeka thank you for being my friend and teaching me about Jurai. You bring a touch of grace to this house.  
  
"Sasami your joyful spirit and giving heart are an example to all of us. We would all do well to be like you.  
  
"Little Washu, with out you life would be too quiet around here. Your presence is the reason amidst the confusion.  
  
"Mihoshi, you have the kindest and softest heart of us all.  
  
"Ryoko, you have made my life an adventure and helped me find a part of me that was missing for a long time.  
  
"Dad and Grandpa, you two have gone out of your way to raise me, and I hope my actions make you and mom proud."  
  
"Well said," complimented Katsuhito amongst the applause. There was not a dry eye at the table. Tenchi looked up as Ryoko played her foot across his. He smiled back at her as the first trays were passed around. Dinner went smoothly and everyone ate his or her fill. Just as desert was brought out a strange beep came from Washu's lab.  
  
"Now what could that be?" asked Ayeka.  
  
"It's time," said Washu. Instantly every one knew what was happening. The Masaki family was about to grow by one.  
  
"Oh wow!" exclaimed Sasami as they raced into the lab. A red light was blinking next to an iridescent chamber. Inside the baby Mayuka was quietly sucking on a thumb.  
  
"Is it time already?" asked Ryoko as the swirling fluid began to drain away.  
  
"Yep," replied Washu as she pulled the newborn infant from the chamber. She cleared her airways and gave her a tap on the bottom of her foot. The lab became filled with cries as everyone watched in amazement at the new life.  
  
"Too bad Kiyone on patrol," sobbed Mihoshi. Ryo-Ohki reached over from Sasami's shoulder and patted her head.  
  
"Your daughter Lord Tenchi," said Washu, handing Tenchi the blued haired baby. Tenchi pulled back the corner of the yellow blanket and smiled at the baby Mayuka.  
  
"We have one more reason to be thankful," he said. Every one agreed on that.  
  
The end.  
  
Authors notes: I figured a Thanksgiving story would fit in nicely and set the stage for a Christmas story, now that little Mayuka is here. I apologize to all the Kiyone fans. This started as an OVA fic and I forgot she was in the second movie. Whoops. I sincerely thank all of you who read my stories. All feed back is welcome at: vette1701@earthlink.net. Later.  
  
William R. Nichols Jr. 11/23/01 


End file.
